Alexander said. He dropped the tone of his voice as the waitress strolled towards the table. He took a quick last look at the tattered menu open on the table in front of him.
"What can I do for you boys?" The waitress asked, pulling a small pencil out of her dingy, grease stained apron.
"Something light," David said. The way his stomach felt, eating anything was probably a mistake. He took a drink of the glass of water in front of him and turned his attention up to the waitress, making a split decision. "Can I get some toast with grape jelly?”
"Sure thing, sweetie." She replied, jotting down a few notes on her pad. She turned her attention to Alexander.
"Bacon and eggs," Alexander replied, taking an easy sip of coffee.
The waitress finished writing the order. "I'll have that out in a few minutes, boys." Taking a beat, she sized up Alexander with an interested eye, before walking towards the kitchen.
"I thought things had finally worked themselves out," David said, taking a small sip of the water in front of him on the table. He stopped for a moment, dumping a spoon full of sugar into the cup. "I've always felt like I've had kind of a shit run of things...I was finally happy." He paused, taking another sip. His voice cracked as he continued. "I was finally fucking happy with how things were turning out. I'm twenty fucking five, and things were only starting to break my way. She was the best thing to happen to me.”
Alexander reached across the table, putting his hand over David’s.
"I appreciate you letting me vent," David said, reacting to Alexander's simple gesture. A sense of relief seemed to be spreading through him. "Things have been so hard in the last couple of days.”
"I understand," Alexander said. He looked down, stirring his coffee slowly. "I lost most of my family to the Spanish flu in '18. I've been mostly on my own since then. It's been just me and my father.”
"Besides Jessica, I've basically been on my own since the war.”
Alexander shifted his body language. "What do you think your plans will be?”
"No idea," David said. He looked up as the waitress set down his plate. He groped in his pocket for a cigarette. "I really don't have anywhere to go. I can't really send Tommy to any of my family. The only people close is her family, and there's no way they would take me in until I get things figured out.”
Alexander looked around the restaurant, before he spoke again. "I have a thought…"
"Okay..." David said, his voice encouraging him to continue.
"Feel free to say no…"
"I can't say no if I don't know what I'm saying no too," David said, jumping in. He could feel nausea building up in his stomach, as he took a bite of the dry toast in front of him. He looked across the table at the boy. David swallowed, keeping his tone in check. "What's going through your head.”
"I've got a buddy, he's a stoker on some railroad owner's yacht, and they are looking for a couple of crewmen for a holiday trip down to Havana. He says he could get me in if I ever wanted to escape from here," Alexander stopped, gauging David's expression.
"I don't really have much experience..." David said, deliberately not saying no.
"You're a clean cut looking guy," Alexander replied. He pulled his pocket watch out of his coat and checked the time. He tossed his head to the side, flicking his hair out of his eyes. "I'm sure you can serve food to a bunch of rich people. Worse comes to worst, you shovel coal in the stove.”
"You might have an idea," David said, rubbing his tired eyes. It would be a way to get away from the memories of the city, and to earn a working wage to support his son. David exhaled sharply as he sat back in his chair, staring up at the cheap, plaster tiles which made up the ceiling of the dinner. "I think I like the sound of that.”
"Really?" Alexander asked, seeming almost surprised by the answer he heard. He
"What can I do for you boys?" The waitress asked, pulling a small pencil out of her dingy, grease stained apron.
"Something light," David said. The way his stomach felt, eating anything was probably a mistake. He took a drink of the glass of water in front of him and turned his attention up to the waitress, making a split decision. "Can I get some toast with grape jelly?”
"Sure thing, sweetie." She replied, jotting down a few notes on her pad. She turned her attention to Alexander.
"Bacon and eggs," Alexander replied, taking an easy sip of coffee.
The waitress finished writing the order. "I'll have that out in a few minutes, boys." Taking a beat, she sized up Alexander with an interested eye, before walking towards the kitchen.
"I thought things had finally worked themselves out," David said, taking a small sip of the water in front of him on the table. He stopped for a moment, dumping a spoon full of sugar into the cup. "I've always felt like I've had kind of a shit run of things...I was finally happy." He paused, taking another sip. His voice cracked as he continued. "I was finally fucking happy with how things were turning out. I'm twenty fucking five, and things were only starting to break my way. She was the best thing to happen to me.”
Alexander reached across the table, putting his hand over David’s.
"I appreciate you letting me vent," David said, reacting to Alexander's simple gesture. A sense of relief seemed to be spreading through him. "Things have been so hard in the last couple of days.”
"I understand," Alexander said. He looked down, stirring his coffee slowly. "I lost most of my family to the Spanish flu in '18. I've been mostly on my own since then. It's been just me and my father.”
"Besides Jessica, I've basically been on my own since the war.”
Alexander shifted his body language. "What do you think your plans will be?”
"No idea," David said. He looked up as the waitress set down his plate. He groped in his pocket for a cigarette. "I really don't have anywhere to go. I can't really send Tommy to any of my family. The only people close is her family, and there's no way they would take me in until I get things figured out.”
Alexander looked around the restaurant, before he spoke again. "I have a thought…"
"Okay..." David said, his voice encouraging him to continue.
"Feel free to say no…"
"I can't say no if I don't know what I'm saying no too," David said, jumping in. He could feel nausea building up in his stomach, as he took a bite of the dry toast in front of him. He looked across the table at the boy. David swallowed, keeping his tone in check. "What's going through your head.”
"I've got a buddy, he's a stoker on some railroad owner's yacht, and they are looking for a couple of crewmen for a holiday trip down to Havana. He says he could get me in if I ever wanted to escape from here," Alexander stopped, gauging David's expression.
"I don't really have much experience..." David said, deliberately not saying no.
"You're a clean cut looking guy," Alexander replied. He pulled his pocket watch out of his coat and checked the time. He tossed his head to the side, flicking his hair out of his eyes. "I'm sure you can serve food to a bunch of rich people. Worse comes to worst, you shovel coal in the stove.”
"You might have an idea," David said, rubbing his tired eyes. It would be a way to get away from the memories of the city, and to earn a working wage to support his son. David exhaled sharply as he sat back in his chair, staring up at the cheap, plaster tiles which made up the ceiling of the dinner. "I think I like the sound of that.”
"Really?" Alexander asked, seeming almost surprised by the answer he heard. He
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